GAZA, August 16, 2006 (WAFA)- Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemned the Israeli killing of an elderly Palestinian and his son in Khan Yunis in the early morning hours of Wednesday, when an Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) plane leveled their house with a bomb.

In a press release, PCHR said IOF did not give them sufficient time to evacuate the house, and they were killed during the evacuation.

PCHR stated that it strongly condemns the IOF killing of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, and the destruction of their property. "IOF disproportionate use of force places the lives of civilians at additional risk during these operations, which are a form of reprisal and collective punishment against Palestinians, a violation of article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention".

The Centre confirmed that indiscriminate aggression will inflict additional damages on civilians and civilian property. "The prior knowledge that these attacks will cause civilian casualties and destruction of their property is a violation of the convention, and a war crime in the first protocol additional to the convention".

The Centre reminded the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention of: their obligations under article 1 of the convention to ensure respect of the convention under all circumstances, and their obligations in article 146 of the convention to pursue suspects of committing serious violations of the convention, noting that these violations are war crimes according to article 147, as specified in the first protocol additional to the convention.

(20:36 P) (17:36 GMT)